How to restore the beauty of succulent plants that have been turned into dogs and pancakes

The reasons for the growth of succulent plants

1. Overwatering

Although the temperature is high and the evaporation is large in summer, you still need to pay attention to watering succulents. Once too much water is applied and the excess water cannot be consumed by photosynthesis, the leaves will spread out, enhancing transpiration and evaporating the excess water, resulting in a spreading pancake situation.

2. Improper lighting

If there is not enough light and the succulents are exposed to too little light, in order to get more light, they will spread out their leaves to increase the contact area with light, resulting in a pancake-like situation.

3. Improper placement

All flowers are phototropic. If you place succulents on the windowsill with only one side exposed to light, in order to get more sunlight, the succulents will grow towards the place with strong light, resulting in excessive growth.
(Author: Kaka Source: Stepping on Flowers)

4. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer application

Generally, flower lovers fertilize succulents by burying a few grains of compound fertilizer in the soil. However, compound fertilizers mainly contain nitrogen. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers can accelerate the division of succulent cells. Over time, they are prone to growing too tall, and their disease resistance is weakened, making them prone to lodging.
(Author: Tian Wei Lan Yun Wei Bai Source: Succulent Bar)

What to do if succulent plants grow too tall

If you flower lovers find that the succulents in your home have grown too big, you can restore their beauty if you take good care of them. However, once the succulents become too tall, no matter how well you take care of them, they will never return to their original appearance.

1. Beheading operation

1. When you find that the succulent plants are growing too tall, you can cut off their heads. 2. The location of the beheading operation is generally a little lower than the bottom leaf. Before beheading, you can bend down the leaves at the beheading position a circle to make it easier to cut.
(Author: Kite’s Home Source: Sina Blog) 3. After beheading, the succulent mother plant must be placed in a cool and ventilated place to dry so that the wound can heal quickly. The cut seedlings should also be placed in a cool and ventilated place to dry.
(Author: Kite’s Home Source: Sina Blog) 4. After the wounds of the seedlings have dried, you can plant them in the soil. The soil for cuttings can be mixed with peat soil and perlite in a 1:1 ratio. It should be loose and breathable, and a layer of clean fine sand can be spread on the surface of the potting soil.
(Author: Kite’s Home Source: Sina Blog) 5. The leaves picked from the plant before can also be used for cuttings. Afterwards, place the cuttings in a well-ventilated place with diffuse light for maintenance, such as under the shade of a tree or on a desk under a window, and they will soon take root.
(Author: Kite's Home Source: Sina Blog)

2. Uniform lighting

In order to prevent succulents from growing too tall, it is best to place them in a place with even light. If they are placed on a windowsill or balcony, it is best to rotate the flowerpot every 3-5 days so that the succulents can receive even light.

3. Water less

In order to prevent succulents from growing too large, you must remember to water them less frequently. It is better to keep the surface of the soil in the pot slightly moist. Do not water them too much just because you like succulents, otherwise they will definitely grow too large.

4. Use less fertilizer

Succulents themselves have a relatively small demand for fertilizer, and they live in relatively barren areas. Therefore, except for adding a few grains of compound fertilizer to the soil when repotting, there is no need to fertilize at other times. If you want your succulents to grow faster, you can apply some organic fertilizers, such as earthworm castings, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, etc.

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